Nancy Guthries final ransom deadline passes as stricken daughter Savannah notes hour of desperation

The doomsday 7 p.m.ET deadline for Nancy Guthrie’s family to cough up $6 million to the villains who claim to be holding her came and went Monday — as TV star daughter Savannah issued a desperate new plea for help.“We are at an hour of desperation,” the “Today” show star said in an Instagram video Monday afternoon — just three hours before the deadline that her 84-year-old mother Nancy’s purported kidnappers set in a ransom note after she vanished from her Arizona home more than a week ago.The daunting deadline passed with no sign of the ransom being paid or proof that the ailing grandmother was still alive — leaving her fate in question.The Bitcoin account given by kidnappers showed zero balance and zero transactions.

The supposed kidnappers had claimed Nancy would be in danger if they didn’t get paid by the deadline.The FBI and Pima County Sheriff’s Department still haven’t verified whether the ransom note is authentic or the work of scammers, but with no other known leads to go on, Guthrie’s family and the cops have treated it as the real-deal.However, former FBI agents have increasingly expressed skepticism about the authenticity of the ransom demand — which referenced Nancy’s Apple Watch and a flood light at her home.“I’m very skeptical of this,” former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker told Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show” on Sunday.He added: “If this was a kidnapping, it would be a very simple matter to authenticate and provide proof of life.“You have to allow for the possibility that this was something more or something other than a kidnapping.”Savannah and her siblings — Annie and Camron — even put out a video Saturday telling the alleged abductors that they were ready to pay.The latest video Monday revealed the desperation that’s been mounting as Nancy — who has major heart and walking issues — remained missing for a ninth day.“We believe our mom is still out there,” Savannah said.“She wa...